Construction requirements of the water supply of Constantinople and Anastasian Wall

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Abstract

With the end of Western Roman rule and the emergence of new polities in the
medieval world, it has been assumed that the technology of mortar reverted to a
weak and friable building material. However, this period brought about the
implementation of large-scale construction projects that still remain as a testament to
their high quality construction techniques and materials. In order to meet the needs of
its growing populace, the infrastructure of the new capital city of Constantinople was
bolstered by these projects, many rivaling the scale and intricacy of Imperial Rome.
A prime example of this is the extensive channel networks of the fourth and fifth
centuries, built in the hinterland of Constantinople to supply fresh water from springs
hundreds of kilometres away. In addition, the sixth century Long Wall of Thrace was
built from the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara as a first line of defense against
increased aggression.
This project examines the tradition of monumental construction in the Late Antique
and early Byzantine world through laboratory analysis of mortars and valuations of
the structural makeup of the Water Supply of Constantinople and Anastasian Wall.
By investigating the material technology, scale, and labour requirements of these
systems, a better understanding can be gained of two of the largest building project
of the early medieval period.